League lead in jeopardy, Orlando City hits road for 2 matches

Orlando City will play at Wilmington on Wednesday and Charleston on Friday

July 2, 2013|Staff Reports

For much of the USL Pro regular season, the Orlando City Soccer Club has enjoyed a comfortable margin atop the points standings.

Not anymore.

The Lions (10-2-2, 32 points) still sit atop the 13-team league, but their margin is down to one point over the Harrisburg City Islanders and two points over the Richmond Kickers.

Orlando City will look to protect, and possibly expand, its advantage when it takes on the Wilmington Hammerheads at 7:30 Wednesday night and the Charleston Battery at 7:30 Friday night.

The Lions have lost their past three matches; only one, though, was in league play. Orlando City is coming off a 5-1 loss to the host Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals on June 26.

Orlando City will play its second match without forward Dom Dwyer and defender Yann Songo'o. Dwyer, who set the USL Pro single-season record with 15 goals in 13 matches, was recalled by Sporting Kansas City of MLS.

Songo'o was released by Sporting Kansas City, ending his time with Orlando City. Songo'o and Dwyer were two of four players loaned by Sporting Kansas City to the Lions this season.